1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a protector device, and more particularly, to the type that protects the doors of shipping containers and trailers from tampering.
2. Description of the Related Art
The closest reference known to applicant corresponds to a Container Hasp Protector patented by Robert F. Emmons in 1992 under U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,149. Emmons' device, however, does not completely protect hasp members 20 and 22 since a trespasser can readily reach bolts 18. The same can be said for the embodiments in FIGS. 5 and 6 which make it more difficult for a user to snap off the head of pin 47. The present invention provides access to the intended addressee to snap security pin member (47 in Emmons) which is typically used with containers. The claimed invention, however, includes concave walls that permit access while at the same time protect the hasp or latch members. This is an important advantage over Emmons.
Another protective mechanism to secure the contents of containers and trailers with characteristics similar to the present invention correspond U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,904 issued on Sep. 10, 1996 to Protecting Seal for Shipping Containers and Trailers. The patented invention provides for the protection of the rotating bar preventing a wrongdoer from removing the pin of the locking pivoting bar housing and leaving the conventional seal intact. The present invention protects the hardware secured by the protecting seal since this hardware is also susceptible to being carefully removed in order to not violate the seal. This hardware is typically implemented with pivotally mounted latch members L.sub.1 and L.sub.2.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.